LOWELL -- In the aftermath of Monday's terrorist bomb blasts at the Boston Marathon, friends and family members of Sydney Corcoran -- the Lowell teen whose lower extremities were shredded by shrapnel -- pleaded with the public for help in learning the identities of two men who likely saved her life.

A gut-wrenching photograph of the men, kneeling in pools of blood, surrounded by mayhem and attending to Sydney, was the lead photograph in Tuesday's Boston Globe.

The picture epitomized the carnage spawned by the midafternoon attack, which killed three people and injured nearly 200 more.

The identity of at least one of the good Samaritans is now known. He's Matthew Smith, a 35-year-old Philadelphia native now living in Dorchester.

Smith contacted The Sun late Tuesday, after reading a story on lowellsun.com about Sydney, a 17-year-old Lowell High School senior, and her mother, Celeste, who lost both of her lower legs in the attack.

It wasn't easy for Smith to describe what he did to help Sydney survive. His comments were choppy, emotional. At one point, he said: "This isn't easy."

But Smith, who is married and works in the restaurant industry, persevered. He told his story.

He, with a group of friends, made their way down Boylston Street after attending the Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park. Smith was near Marathon Sports, close to the site of second blast just minutes before 3 p.m.

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Smith said he happened upon Sydney laying on the sidewalk just seconds after the blast. His actions were instinctual. He was very humble.

"I just held her hand, asking her to squeeze my hand, as I held rags, shirts, whatever I could to the gaping wound in her right leg," said Smith.

Smith doesn't know the identity of the other good Samaritan, but noted: "He just did the same thing as me. We just tried to make her comfortable and keep her from losing too much blood."

Besides the wound to her right leg, Sydney also suffered a severe injury to her right foot, Smith said.

"I just kept telling her 'You'll be all right, you'll be all right," Smith said. "She asked me several times 'Will I be all right?'"

Sydney's older brother, Tyler, who visited his sister later in the day Tuesday, said she "definitely wants to meet him because there's no doubt he and the other fellow saved my sister's life."

Tyler said Sydney told him how "reassuring (Matthew) was and how he kept holding her hand and saying 'you'll be OK.' "

Sydney wanted (Matthew) to ride in the ambulance with her to the hospital, but that wasn't allowed, Tyler said.

"We're just so grateful to this man, and the other man, too," Tyler said.

Tyler said both his sister and mother were having additional surgeries Tuesday. They both remain in critical condition.

Friends and family members activated a website to raise funds to assist the Corcoran family. By about 10:30 Tuesday morning, more than 2,300 donations had been received totaling nearly $150,000. By late Wednesday afternoon those figures became 3,091 pledges totaling $213,000 to assist the Corcoran family.

"I'm sure it was a touching moment when that happened," said Jim Corcoran of Dracut, who is the uncle of Celeste's husband, Kevin.

According to GoFundMe Operations VP Greg Smith, both himself and the company's CEO grew up in the Boston area and "have felt the shockwaves" out here in California.

"I'm very sorry to hear of the tragedy of your cousins. We've all been very touched to see the community and the nation come through they way they have," Smith said in an email. "I can confirm that this has in fact been our biggest page ever and the fastest growing as well."

Corcoran said a fund has also been set up at Enterprise Bank, c/o Celeste & Sydney Fund, 1120 Main St., Tewksbury, 01876, for anyone uncomfortable donating on-line.

"Money certainly cannot buy happiness or health or fix the situation," said Tyler Corcoran. "But it certainly will help. Thank you to everyone."

A site has also been activated for victim Roseann Sdoia, 45, a Dracut native who graduated from Notre Dame Academy in Tyngsboro and UMass Lowell in 1990. Sdoia, who was a spectator at the finish line, lost a leg below the knee in the explosions and was undergoing multiple surgeries, family and friends said. Her GoFundMe webpage is www.Gofundme.com/Roseann. By 4 p.m. Thursday, more than 742 donations had been received on Sdoia's behalf, totalling $50,159.

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